Car coupler



I May 29, 1945. I. J. MANKA 2,377,257

CAR COUP'LER Filed Dec. 14, 1942 Patented May 29, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAR COUPLER Louis J oseph Manka, Fort Madison, Iowa Application December 14, 1942, Serial No. 468,906"

2 Claims.

A further object of my invention is to providesuch a construction in which the separation of the cars will cause the release of the lock lift so that thereafter the coupler will be operative in making a succeeding coupling operation.

Ordinarily, in making a flying switch, the brakeman has to hold the'lock lift out until the uncoupling operation is completed. This requires that he remain at the coupling until the car is separated. He is kept in a hazardous position for a substantial length of time. As indicated above, one of the objects of my invention is to avoid the necessity for the brakeman remaining in this hazardous position.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

In the drawing, in which an embodiment of my invention is shown,

Figure 1 is a plan view showing two coupler heads, partly in section, in coupled position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing one of the coupler heads in open position;

Fig. 3 is a section substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 but showing the knuckle in locked position; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the lock lift raised and the knuckle in unlocked condition.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the coupler construction as shown comprises a pair of couplers shown in coupled position in Fig. 1, each coupler comprising a coupler head I, a coupler knuckle 2 pivotally mounted on the head at 3 for engaging a cooperating coupler knuckle, a lock 4 operable by the movement of the knuckle 2 to closed position for locking the knuckle in closed position, a manually operable lock lift 5 which may be moved from the position shown in Fig. 3, in which the knuckle is locked, to the position shown in Fig. 4 in which the knuckle is unlocked, latch means 6 for holding the lock lift 5 in raised position to hold the lock in unlocking position, and release means 1 controlled by the opening movement of the knuckle. 2' for releasing the latch means 6- to enable the lock lift 5 to drop andthe lock 4 to move to locking position when the knuckle is again: closed inmaking a succeeding coupling.

The coupler head I and knuckle 2 may be of any usual 0: suitable construction, the knuckle being pivotally mounted on the head to swing about the vertical axis at -3-. Each knuckle is provided with a hook-like portion 8 for engaging a correspondinghook-like.portion on a cooperating knuckle and; isprovided with a laterally extending. arm 9' for cooperation with the lock The lock 4 is pivotallymountedv on the coupler head at H] and is provided: with an abutment or looking. portion H which dropsin behind. a coop' crating abutment I2: on the knuckle extension.

9' when: the knuckle. is moved to coupling position. The coupler is provided Witha suitable abutment l3 for backing up the lock 4 and preventing undue strain. Thev laterally-extending arm 9 of the knuckle has a sloping surface on which the pivoted lock 4 rides in the opening and. closingmovement. of the knuckle.

The lock lift 5 shown comprises a lifter bar having its lower end l4 guided by a guide surface l5 on the coupler head and having its upper end l6 guided in a guide opening in the coupler head.

For lifting the look, a rockshaft I1 is provided (Figs. 1 and 4) which may be operated by the brakeman while standing on a ladder at the side of the car or while standing alongside the car, this rockshaft having a rock arm I8 mounted thereon having a lifting engagement with a loop l9.connected to the upper end of the lock lift 5.

In order to avoid the necessity of holding the lock lift raised in making a flying switch, a latch mechanism 6 is provided for holding the lock lift 5 and lock 4 in raised position until the couplers are separated and the knuckle is moved to open position. This latch construction comprises a latch member 20 pivotally mounted at 2| in a recess in the lock lift 5, having a lower edge for cooperation with a latch release bar 22, one end of which is engageable with this pivoted latch 20 and the other end of which is pivotally secured at 23 to the rockshaft 3 which rocks with the knuckle 2. Suitable means are provided for guiding the end of this release bar relative to the latch, the means shown comprising a pin 24 mounted on the coupler head engaging a slot 25 in the latch release bar 22. The latch 20 may be so designed that gravity will tend to move it to latching position or, if desired, a spring may be provided biasing the latch to latching position. The latching movement of the latch may be limited by the engagement of the lateral webs 21 on the latch with the inwardly-extending flanges 28 on the lock lift bar.

In use, if it is desired to make a flying switch so as to disconnect a car and send it off by itself along a desired track, the brakeman will operate the rockshaft H to raise, the lock lift to move the lock 4 to the unlocking position shown in Fig. 4 at the point in the train where it is desired to make a disconnection. The disconnection is made by giving the train sufficient momentum so that when the engine is slowed up, the momentum of the cars will effect the separation at a point where the lock lift bar is raised. At the time the disconnection is made the knuckle will move to the position shown in Fig. 2 which will draw the latch release bar 22 from under the lower end of the latch and allow the lock lift 5 to drop and let the lock 4 down onto the inclined surface of the lateral extension 9 of the knuckle. This leaves the lock in position so that when the next coupling is effected and the knuckle is moved to the position shown in Fig. 3, the lock 4 can drop down behind the abutment I! on the lateral extension 9 of the knuckle to hold the knuckle in locked position.

It will be noted that the construction disclosed is such that in making the flying switch the brakeman or yardman will not have to stay with the car, holding the lock lift in raised position to unlock the knuckle until the cars are separated, but that he can set the lock lift so that it will remain in position to unlock the knuckle until the separation is made, and that the separation of the cars will cause the release of the lock lift so that thereafter the coupler will be in conditionto make a succeeding coupling operation.

Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is desired, therefore, that the invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A car coupler construction comprising a coupler head, a coupler knuckle pivotally mounted on said head for engaging a cooperating coupler knuckle, a pivoted lock housed by said coupler head operable by the movement of the knuckle to closed position for locking said knuckle in closed position, a manually operable unlocking device for lifting said lock to unlocking position, latch means for holding said unlocking device in unlocking position, and means controlled by the opening movement of the knuckle for releasing said latch means to enable the lock to move to locking position when the knuckle is closed, whereby the unlocking device may be latched in unlocking position to enable 9, push flying switch to be made and the lock is enabled to move to locking position when the knuckle is again moved to closed position in making a coupling, said latchreleasing means comprising a link for operating said latch means and having a crank pin connection with said knuckle.

2. A car coupler construction comprising a coupler head, a coupler knuckle pivotally mounted on said head for engaging a cooperating coupler knuckle, a lock housed by said coupler head operable by the movement of the knuckle to closed position for locking said knuckle in closed position, a manually operable lock lift, latch means for holding said lock lift in position to hold the lock lifted, and means outside the lock housing controlled by the opening movement of the knuckle for releasing said latch means to enable the lock to move to locking position when the knuckle is closed, whereby the latch lift may be latched in position to hold the lock lifted to enable a push flying switch to be made and the lock is enabled to move to locking position when the knuckle is again moved to 

